Osage County to add signage, notify vendors and draft resolution to limit heavy truck traffic near transfer station

Osage County commissioners directed staff to add directional signage identifying the transfer station and a designated truck route, to notify transfer-station vendors of the preferred route, and to ask county counsel to draft a resolution establishing the truck route and prohibiting commercial traffic on certain local roads.

The discussion focused on heavy truck traffic using narrow county roads near the transfer station and the resulting wear. County staff and the public suggested placing signs directing trucks to the designated route (for example, Eurasia/County Road toward Highway 31) and sending notices to vendors that use the transfer station. Commissioners asked the sheriff’s office about enforceability; county and sheriff’s representatives said signage and a resolution would help but enforcement requires available deputies to issue citations, so practical enforcement would be limited by staffing.

The board instructed staff to place a small number of signs at strategic locations, notify vendors by billing or written notice, and asked the county attorney to prepare a resolution creating a truck route. Commissioners and staff said the measure would be a combination of outreach (vendor notices and signs) and a formal resolution that would allow enforcement where deputies are available.

Why it matters: heavy commercial traffic affects county road maintenance and budgets; the resolution and vendor notification aim to redirect large vehicles to roads better suited for heavy loads while preserving narrow local roads for local traffic.

The board did not set a specific enforcement timetable; commissioners said they would coordinate with the sheriff before relying on citations.